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Offline TheYoungerPlumber

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Nintendo DS Interview
« on: January 21, 2004, 03:07:57 PM »
Game Informer Online discusses Nintendo’s recent announcement with Beth Llewelyn.

Source: Game Informer Online
Link: http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200401/N04.0121.1808.42530.htm


Following yesterday’s intriguing revelation of the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo's rumored “third pillar” platform, Billy Berghammer of Game Informer Online talked with Beth Llewelyn, NOA’s Director of Public Relations.  The interview reveals a handful of new tidbits along with clarification on what the system is and why it exists.  Below are a few highlights:

Quote

Billy:  Will the unit be backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advance or the Game Boy?

Beth:  We haven’t announced anything about that, yet.


Billy:  I also read that developers can use both screens as one if they so choose.

Beth:  Yes, you can use the two screens as one big monitor.  I think it’s one of those things that the developer will have the freedom to do what they want to do.

Billy:  Will the screens be side-by-side, or vertical?  Also, will the screens be set right next to each other or will they be separate, much like the classic Game & Watch designs?

Beth:  The[y] will be in the vertical position.

Beth also confirmed that DS cartridges can store up to 1 Gigabit, or 128 Megabytes, of information, and that the hardware and its 1st and 3rd party software will be fully revealed at E3 2004.  She neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of backwards compatibility with Game Boy games.  To read more about Nintendo’s philosophy behind the system and why it was announced so early in the year, be sure to check out Game Informer’s full interview!  
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Offline Rancid Planet

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2004, 03:19:33 PM »
It's almost like Billy never left.

Offline Bill Aurion

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RE: Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2004, 03:30:59 PM »
I really, REALLY want a new Zelda(and Mario) game for this hardware... ^_^
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Offline Patch

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RE: Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2004, 03:35:53 PM »
That was an interesting interview - her shrouded comments on systems specs make me think that the DS could be potentially redesigned between now and launch.

Even the launch date isn't entirely firm.

Trying to visualize a mock-up is a little tricky. Beth describes the screens as being close enough together to form one large screen if developers wish to use it as such... I wonder exactly how this thing will look. Apparently they'll have to ditch the protective clamshell design.

I just hope they manage to keep dust outta BOTH screens in the manufacturing process.
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Offline NWR_Lindy

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2004, 03:36:23 PM »
Hmm, interesting.  I really don't know what to make of this.  My first reactions:

1)  OK, why have yet another product line?  The GBA SP is doing great, the Gamecube is so-so (good Christmas sales notwithstanding)...why not concentrate on those platforms?  I hope Nintendo isn't spreading itself too thin.

2)  Won't this system take away from GameBoy Advance sales?  It's a handheld from what I can tell.

Sounds cool though.  The two vertical screens sounds like a neat idea, at least for games like Kid Icarus 2 (fingers crossed).

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Offline Perfect Cell

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2004, 03:58:44 PM »
The fusing of the two screens makes me think this has a better shot now than before...  

Offline Djunknown

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2004, 04:27:27 PM »
For an interview that reveals only so much, at least I know why Nintendo just couldn't keep it under wraps; too much speculation, too much doctoring (Those concept images of a Nexus, one with fusion of the GBA-GC), and poking in the most legitamate of places: The U.S patent office.

Question is, can Nintendo hold out until E3 with an image of the DS? I can see those jobs done in Adobe now....
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Offline Chongman

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2004, 04:32:59 PM »


well, thats interesting. I guess many of you can STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT SCREEN SIZE NOW. if anything, i'm willing to bet this has the psp screen beat. I mean, a bigger screen that can split into two at any time with dual processors and 128 megs of ram (well, i'm no techy but i'm guessing thats ram)?

Its gonna rock man. And its going to be cheaper, because, c'mon, thats the way nintendo goes (and somehow they're still going to amazingly be able to pull a profit). Yup. And someone mentioned earlier that they fear it wont be a clamshell case. I say, dont worry, nintendo will figure it out and find a way to protect both of our lovely upcoming screens. :-D now if it could only cook my tacos while i play...

or as someone else has tastefully said before, nintendo waffle iron anyone?

So what are you going to buy? PSP or DS? MUAHAHAHAHAHA, I bet sony is crappin their pants as i type this. I'm half expecting them to copy the idea though. If they do, man am i going to bomb their offices good.
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Offline Bloodworth

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RE: Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2004, 04:53:04 PM »
Again the 128 MB is the cartridge size, not RAM.

I'm wondering if they'll stick with DS for the final name or come up with something crazy like "Mutant".
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Offline mouse_clicker

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2004, 04:53:27 PM »
Quote

and 128 megs of ram (well, i'm no techy but i'm guessing thats ram)?


Actually, I think it's the size of the cartridges it uses. Considering the average N64 cart held 64MB, this is quite large for a handheld.
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Offline RABicle

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RE: Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2004, 04:54:44 PM »
The 1 gigabit reference (or in more common terms, 128megabytes, appears to be talking about how large the game cartriges will be. For comparison reasons, Ocarina of Time was 32 megs.
Also about the clamshell design. If the screens are above and below each other as the nice lady says, they could put a hinge between them, dividing the machine in half, so then they could fold over onto one another, much like the current clamshell design. Which is good to protect both screens.
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Offline Chongman

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2004, 04:56:48 PM »


alright, sorry about that. it just seems like they keep talking about something thats actualy inside the machine, so i assumed it was ram. my bad. I'm still drooling at all the possibilities though...aaaah....
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Offline Ian Sane

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RE: Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2004, 05:36:02 PM »
"Billy: Will the unit be backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advance or the Game Boy?

Beth: We haven’t announced anything about that, yet."

Now that's interesting.  If this is supposed to be something completely different then surely the answer would be "of course not.  This is a third pillar and will introduce new concepts, etc etc."  The fact that they "haven't announced anything yet" suggests there's something to announce.  I think the DS will play GBA games and will be for all intents and purposes the successor to the GBA.  It makes sense since a dual screen portable can do everything a single screen one can thus making the single screen one redundant.  Nintendo will maintain GBA support but it will be like how Sony technically still supports the PS1.  They'll release the occasional budget GBA title which can also be played on the DS.

And if they're not planning on making it play GBA games they're likely keeping the option open and thus aren't saying anything just in case.

I don't like how she didn't confirm if there is any space between the screens or not.  That's important.  Sure she said you could use them as one big screen but you can still do that with or without a seperation.  I also wish Billy had asked her if this is a 2D or 3D console.  A lot of people are making assumptions about that and really we haven't been given a clear picture of what types of graphics this thing can bust out.  If it can do 3D they have a competitor for the PSP.  Sure they'll say otherwise but they said the Cube wasn't in competition with the PS2 so what they say doesn't always mean anything.

Offline nolimit19

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2004, 05:46:38 PM »
damn if they were horizontal it would be soooo nice. if  they are being used as one screen, it would be weird to look at them vertically. horizontal makes more sense in almost every single way.
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Offline nolimit19

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2004, 05:51:15 PM »
Quote

Originally posted by: Perfect Cell
The fusing of the two screens makes me think this has a better shot now than before...


hits the nail on the head
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Offline Bloodworth

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2004, 05:58:06 PM »
Quote

Originally posted by: nolimit19
damn if they were horizontal it would be soooo nice. if  they are being used as one screen, it would be weird to look at them vertically. horizontal makes more sense in almost every single way.



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Offline Ian Sane

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RE: Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2004, 06:01:04 PM »
"damn if they were horizontal it would be soooo nice. if they are being used as one screen, it would be weird to look at them vertically. horizontal makes more sense in almost every single way."

I think the screens will be horizontal rectangles and then arranged on top of each other so the result is like a big square.  That's not too weird to look at.  In terms of space that (or two vertical screens arranged horizontally) makes the most sense.  Something that's totally horizontal would be too wide for a portable.  It would rock for Darius though.

Offline Rize

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2004, 07:46:56 PM »
I agree.  Two horizontal rectangles stacked vertically.  The answer to Billy's question made it clear that they would be stacked vertically, and I think common sense dictates that they would be horizontally oriented.

Offline jasonditz

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RE: Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #18 on: January 21, 2004, 07:57:01 PM »
stacking vertically makes sense, back in the day there were numerous arcade machines who had displays of that shape.

Maybe we can finally get some decent arcade ports.

Offline jasonditz

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #19 on: January 21, 2004, 08:04:34 PM »
Quote

Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"Billy: Will the unit be backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advance or the Game Boy?

Beth: We haven’t announced anything about that, yet."

Now that's interesting.  If this is supposed to be something completely different then surely the answer would be "of course not.  This is a third pillar and will introduce new concepts, etc etc."  The fact that they "haven't announced anything yet" suggests there's something to announce.  I think the DS will play GBA games and will be for all intents and purposes the successor to the GBA.  It makes sense since a dual screen portable can do everything a single screen one can thus making the single screen one redundant.  Nintendo will maintain GBA support but it will be like how Sony technically still supports the PS1.  They'll release the occasional budget GBA title which can also be played on the DS.

And if they're not planning on making it play GBA games they're likely keeping the option open and thus aren't saying anything just in case.



There could be the possibility of the GB Player type addon for it too.


Offline Dynamitega

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #20 on: January 21, 2004, 08:17:33 PM »

Offline pyrokamileon

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #21 on: January 21, 2004, 09:08:20 PM »
that concept art makes me realize how odd a looking system this really will be.  I wonder how the system will run if one of the screens messes up...
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Offline Edisim

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #22 on: January 21, 2004, 09:14:00 PM »
Quote

Originally posted by: Bloodworth
Again the 128 MB is the cartridge size, not RAM.
I'm wondering if they'll stick with DS for the final name or come up with something crazy like "Mutant".
Have they ever?

Quote

Billy:  I thought Nintendo was aiming to make gaming simpler.  How does having a system with  two screens simpler?

Beth:  That’s probably a difficult thing to answer right now because we have nothing to show you.  But I think the bigger picture answer there is that some games out there get very, very complicated, and it may turn away a lot of gamers.  So what we want to make sure is we do make games that can be accessible for all gamers – all ages, all types.  We’re looking for ways to make it fun and easy to get into.  I think with this system that is certainly being taken into account.  So when the games are being developed for this there are going to be games that are easy to get into.  It’s just hard to get into explaining it in detail because we can’t get into the detail yet.  But I think when you see this – and most likely that’ll be at E3 – you’ll get a much better idea.
That's probably the most important tidbit there... maybe this will sorta be like a "gaming for dummies"-type of system--where one screen is for gameplay, and the other is for a "microsoft office"-like assistant.. only it doesn't ask questions but just shows helpful screens of information (button layout, etc) that would be quick and easy to access using dedicated menu buttons (little ones, right under/next to the lcd) to navigate the menu, so the game controls will never be confused and won't have to serve too many functions as that would confuse old farts and little brats..

"..can playback existing software".. two vertical screens a la old nintendo arcade games.. any connection? ah, who cares? those games mostly blew.

Offline BigJim

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RE:Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #23 on: January 22, 2004, 12:54:49 AM »
Methinks the top screen will be a flip top (both screens facing each other in a closed postion) to keep it as compact as possible.  
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Offline Pale

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RE: Nintendo DS Interview
« Reply #24 on: January 22, 2004, 02:35:28 AM »
I'm with bigJim, I bet it will look almost exactly like the standard gba with a cover over the screen that when flipped up will reveal a second screen.
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